At lunch yesterday, Estefani says, “Tomorrow is the last day of November so that means its going to be December and it will soon be Christmas!”
With that reminder from our 10 year old dreamer, its time to start decorating the House of Dreams. Do you have any good homemade decorations and Christmas craft ideas for our kids?
-Marisol
Back in February I posted about our three youngest Dreamers. Here’s part of the post with updates in green.
There are three Dreamers who will turn three this year. Yep, they all turned three.
Two of them are ready to go at any time and are just waiting for assignment to a family. Little Bridgit got assigned and adopted. Yeah! Vladimir got assigned and then due to some complications the parents from overseas decided to back out. Currently a member of our church, who volunteers at the House of Dreams, is attempting to adopt him. Please pray that she is successful.
We know there are many families waiting for children so the in between people need to move things along so that an adoption connection can take place. This is an ongoing reality for 8 children in our home at this stage.
For the third little one we are facing issues of paperwork. We are submitting (for the third time) paperwork and forms that were “lost” by social services or the courts. Without going into too much drama suffice it to say that this round of papers need to stay found so that this little Dreamer can be found by a family. I am happy to say that Alicia’s paperwork went through and she has been assigned to a family from another country who could receive word to come get their child any day. We would love for you to rejoice with us on the progress made with her case and pray that the adoption happens soon without complications. To give you a time frame this could happen anytime between this week and months from now. We would prefer sooner than later.
…My hope is that this year all three of them are adopted. Would you join me in praying for them? Bridgit’s parents sent us an update that everything is going really well and they are all happy. Let’s keep praying that Vladi’s and Alicia’s adoptions go through soon.
Maybe you can grab these pics to print and help us to pray for them. Thanks!
- Angie
With the end of another school year comes another Kindergarten graduation. Last year, Yamil and Bernancio graduated, but this year, it was Jose and Shirley’s turn.
Jose and Shirley psoing with their Kindergarten teachers.
They were both extremely excited to be starting school this year and it showed as they both excelled academically. Their teachers stated that they were “good kids, polite, well-behaved, and a joy to have in class.” We are so proud of these two!
Standing proud in their cap and gowns.
Congratulations to Jose and Shirley on having a great year finishing kindergarten! Many more to come!
Romon
“We are going to see our new friends!” shouted Fernando last Wednesday morning. Our youngest dreamers recently had the opportunity to make new friends with children from another nearby orphanage to give the children from both homes an opportunity to grow in their socialization skills.
Juan Daniel playing with his new friend
Joel playing tag with his new friend
The first Wednesday playdate, the kids met at a local park, most were shy, but soon started playing together. Last Wednesday, we invited their new friends over to the House of Dreams and were happy to play together. Next Wednesday our young dreamers are invited over to their home for a morning of games.
With 3 dreamers starting kindergarten next year, I’m hoping that these playdates will give them to confidence to make new friends when they start school.
-Marisol
Traditions formed in childhood make memories and create belonging. One tradition I have come to love is taking our family to The House of Dreams on Christmas Eve. We take presents for the kids to open. We share yummy treats. People from church make a special meal. We have a good time.
This week we received word that friends from the States, a group of people from a church in Louisiana, sent off 37 packages for the Dreamers for Christmas. I am so excited! We will have our annual wrapping day with the volunteers. And an extra special treat is that each of the kids are getting an ornament all their own for the tree.
I know that Thanksgiving is this week in the States. I want to say that I am so grateful for people who help make our Dreamers feel special.
Thank you for reading the updates. Thank you for passing along word about the House of Dreams. Thank you for giving. Thank you for praying. Thank you for being a part of what happens on the other side of the world. Thank you!
- Angie
Now that school is officially out for the summer, instead of just five Dreamers at home during the day, there will be seventeen. With seventeen kids around all day, it’s very easy to run out of ideas to keep them occupied. After so playing the same games for so much time they get bored or begin to get in trouble.
Anne is one of the Dreamers who is very excited about summer.
If you are a parent, have worked with kids, or just good at coming up with creative ideas, then we need your help!
What are some fun summer ideas for a group of seventeen kids? Any games, arts, crafts, or other activities that you could suggest? Let us know!
Romon
We made a change in our dreamers behavior charts from earning stars to earning scoops of ice-cream. Once a dreamer earns 12 scoops, I take them out for ice-cream.
These are our first two dreamers to earn their tasty treat. After eating the ice-cream, the had some time to play in the restaruant’s play area. The two already have their next flavor picked out for the next time they fill their chart!
-Marisol
Give a kid some blankets, string, and clothes pins, and send them outside. What will they make? A tent, of course. A few of our Dreamers did just this recently. I watched the children constructing, playing, imagining and I thought about the intrinsic desire to protect.
The children built a place to protect themselves. How do they know to do this? In many of the cases the histories of our dear kiddos tell of places and people where the children should have been protected, but were not.
I find the resiliency of these little ones astounding. Even though such a basic need such as shelter was robbed from them at an early age they still know that this is important. So important, in fact, that they are able to emulate a place of protection as they built tents with sheets.
I am very grateful that we are able to provide true security and protection to our Dreamers. Although, it must be said, we do not do it alone. Often people ask us how much of our operations are subsidized by the government. Bolivia regulates orphanages by making laws and setting officials in place to rescue children, serve as social workers, and help to facilitate adoptions. Per care of the children no financial aid is given. In some cases the government will temporarily lend land to orphanages.
We depend on the generosity of donors who have decided to dedicate a certain amount of their monthly finances to help the House of Dreams. We rely on God to connect us with these donors so that we can serve the nation of Bolivia by helping care for orphans.
If you do not already, please consider helping us protect these kids by giving a monthly donation. Click here to learn how.
Thanks!
- Angie
Even though school is almost out here in Bolivia, it’s never too late to start learning.
Some of the volunteers have taken it upon themselves to begin teaching and practicing the alphabet with the younger Dreamers that aren’t in school yet. To help them remember, the volunteers have been working with the kids to make the letters of the alphabet to put up in the house.
Some of the letters they made to help them learn the alphabet.
The kids have been doing a great job at remembering and reciting the alphabet, some even in English! It’s so great to have extra people around the house who are able to help give our young Dreamers a head start.
Are you interested in volunteering at the House of Dreams? Click here for more information on how you can come and help.
Romon
A few weeks ago, the youth group at Christ Nation church prepared a big surprise for our dreamers. All the kids faces were glued to the window as they brought in the huge inflatable playground. At 3pm they were given the signal to go outside and start jumping. At 5pm they were still jumping, and even after a short break for cake and soda, they went back and jumped for another hour.
Needless to say, that night all 17 kids fell asleep as soon as their heads hit their pillows.
-Marisol
